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A delicious and cheesy twist on a classic favorite, these broccoli tots will fly off of your table. They are the perfect side or appetizer for any meal!
Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies to add to a meal. You can use it as a mix-in, side, or part of your main dish! A few of my favorite broccoli recipes are this Beef and broccoli, this lo mein, or this soup!
What are Broccoli Tots?
If you love tater tots, then these broccoli tots are for you! If you have some broccoli on hand, then you definitely need to try these. You mix some cheeses with seasonings, an egg, and some riced broccoli, and voila! You are ready to pop these in the oven and get them nice and crispy to add to your meal. These are insanely delicious and go perfect with a hamburger or even this fried chicken.
These broccoli tots are similar to my cauliflower tots that I had made a few months ago. I wanted to do them with broccoli, too, since the ingredients go hand in hand. These broccoli tots have the same consistency as tater tots (crispy on the outside and soft on the inside), but they are baked instead of fried. They are so delicious, and you MUST TRY them.
Ingredients to Make Broccoli Tots
This ingredients list is short and sweet with common kitchen ingredients. There is nothing in these that you have to search for at the grocery store! See the (printable) recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Broccoli: You will need to cook your broccolis up and pulse it in a food processer before you can make these tots.
- Egg: The egg will bind all of the ingredients together alloweing you to shape them into a tot.
- Cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese: The cheeses not only add a great flavor but they make the texture soft.
- Flour: I used all purpose flour in this recipe.
- Onion: Grate this up so that the onion pieces are small and mix in well with the other ingredients.
- Garlic clove: If you don’t have a fresh garlic clove then you can used minced garlic. ½ tsp equals about 1 clove of garlic.
- Salt and pepper: These will finish off the tots with some great flavor!
Let’s Make Some Tots!
These broccoli tots are going to be your new favorite side to add to every meal! Dip them, eat them plain or serve them up as an appetizer. Any way you choose will be perfect and delicious!
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 400° and spray a baking sheet well with pan spray.`
- Cook the broccoli: If using frozen riced broccoli, prepare it according to the package and let it cool until it is cool enough to handle. If using fresh broccoli, prepare a pot of boiling water. Cut the broccoli into florets and place it in a steamer basket over the boiling water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes until the florets are fork-tender. Alternatively, the broccoli can be steamed in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl with a bit of water in the bottom for 5 minutes.
- Pulse the broccoli: Once cooked, place the steamed florets in a food processor and pulse for 10-15 seconds until you get a nice riced consistency.
- Add ingredients and mix: Transfer the riced broccoli to a tea towel or several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. There is more liquid than you’d think, I’m usually able to squeeze out nearly a cup of liquid. Measure out 4 cups of broccoli and add to a large bowl. Add the egg, both cheeses, flour, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix together and set aside to rest for 5 minutes or so.
- Form tots and bake: Using your hands, form the tots (about 35) that are about 1.5x.5 inches and line them up on the baking sheet leaving space between them. Bake for 20 minutes before removing from the oven, flip them over and then bake for another 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Serve: Enjoy with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce
Tips for Cooking with Broccoli
This recipe uses broccoli that’s been cooked and riced before you can begin making the tots. Here are a few tips to making these tots turn out perfectly!
- Can I use frozen broccoli? Yes! You can use any kind of broccoli that you have on hand for these tots! Just make sure to cook it befrehand according to the directions on the package.
- Don’t forget the flip: When you are cooking these in your oven, you will need to flip them halfway through. This makes it so that they cook evenly and get nice and crispy all the way around.
- What do I dip these in? I am a huge fan of using ketchup to dip these in but you could use Homemade Ranch Dressing, this Everything Bagel Dip or some Easy Veggie Dip!
How to Store Leftovers
These broccoli tots make fantastic leftovers. In fact, you can make some ahead of time and freeze them to cook up later! Here is how you can store and reheat them for another day.
- Refrigerator: Once the tots have cooled then store them in an airtight container. Put them in your fridge and they will last about 5 days.
- Freezer: Double the recipe so that you can have some on hand to freeze. Place them in and airtight container, label it with the date and put it in your freezer. They will last for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: The best way to reheat your tots will be in an air fryer or an oven. This will make them taste crispy and fresh again! Preheat your air fryer or oven to 400 degrees and cook them for 3-5 minutes or until heated through. You can take frozen ones and put them directly in your oven (no need to thaw them) They will just take couple minutes longer to cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400° and spray a baking sheet well with pan spray.`
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If using frozen riced broccoli, prepare it according to the package and let it cool until it is cool enough to handle. If using fresh broccoli, prepare a pot of boiling water. Cut the broccoli into florets and place it in a steamer basket over the boiling water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes until the florets are fork-tender. Alternatively, the broccoli can be steamed in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl with a bit of water in the bottom for 5 minutes.
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Once cooked, place the steamed florets in a food processor and pulse for 10-15 seconds until you get a nice riced consistency.
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Transfer the riced broccoli to a tea towel or several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. There is more liquid than you’d think, I’m usually able to squeeze out nearly a cup of liquid. Measure out 4 cups of broccoli and add to a large bowl. Add the egg, both kinds of cheeses, flour, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix together and set aside to rest for 5 minutes or so.
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Using your hands, form the tots (about 35) that are about 1.5x.5 inches and line them up on the baking sheet leaving space between them. Bake for 20 minutes before removing from the oven, flip them over, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
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Enjoy with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
Serves: 35
Calories29kcal (1%)Carbohydrates3g (1%)Protein2g (4%)Fat1g (2%)Saturated Fat1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat1gTrans Fat1gCholesterol8mg (3%)Sodium76mg (3%)Potassium6mgFiber1g (4%)Sugar1g (1%)Vitamin A512IU (10%)Vitamin C25mg (30%)Calcium49mg (5%)Iron1mg (6%)
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
